Royals Avoid Arbitration with Closer Herrera

The Kansas City avoided salary arbitration with new closer Kelvin Herrera when the two sides settled on a one-year, $5.325 million deal on Friday.
Herrera requested $5.6 million and the Royals offered $5.05 million.
The two-time All-Star will also receive a $50,000 bonus if he makes the All-Star team again in 2017.
Herrera, 27, is the new closer after standout Wade Davis was traded to the Chicago Cubs in the offseason. He went 2-6 with 2-6 with a 2.75 ERA and 12 saves last season. In five-plus seasons with the Royals, the right-hander is 19-23 with a 2.63 ERA.

–Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Shelby Miller lost his salary arbitration case as a trio of arbitrators decided that he will be paid $4.7 million in 2017.
Miller requested $5.1 million but arbitrators Andrew Strongin, James Oldham and Phillip LaForte ruled in favor of the Diamondbacks’ submitted figure.
Miller made $4.35 million while experiencing a poor 2016 campaign that saw him compile a 3-12 record and 6.15 ERA in 20 starts. He was demoted to Triple-A Reno for seven weeks during the season.
The 26-year-old Miller is 35-47 with a 3.66 ERA in four-plus season with the St. Louis Cardinals, Braves and Diamondbacks.

–The Tampa Bay Rays plan to re-sign first baseman Logan Morrison to a one-year deal, according to reports.
The $2.5 million deal for 2017 is not yet official as the Rays need to clear a spot on the 40-man roster before adding Morrison, according to Yahoo Sports.
The 29-year-old Morrison hit .238 with 14 home runs and 43 RBIs in 107 games last season with the Rays, including a team-high 78 starts at first base. The left-hander owns a .245 batting average with 84 home runs and 297 RBIs in seven seasons for the Marlins, Seattle Mariners and Rays.

–The New York Mets and right-hander Fernando Salas agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal.
Salas, 31, also can earn $350,000 in incentives. The deal is pending until Salas passes a physical.
Salas posted a 2.08 ERA in 17 games with the Mets last season after being acquired from the Los Angeles Angels. The veteran has a 19-22 record and 3.64 ERA in seven seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, Angels and Mets.
New York also signed veteran left-hander Tom Gorzelanny to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Gorzelanny will reportedly make $1 million if he makes the Mets’ roster and could earn another $1.8 million in incentives. Gorzelanny is 50-53 with a 4.40 ERA in parts of 12 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals, Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians